New London — In October, Kia Baird found herself at a conference listening to the authors of "For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Politics," and as she "looked around the room at a sea of beautiful faces, of all shades, all complexions, all hair textures," she thought, "How did I get here?"

The question led Baird — president of the local National Council of Negro Women chapter, vice president of OutCT, co-chair of the Southeastern Connecticut Reentry Council, classically trained soprano and winner of multiple community awards — to think back to her childhood.

She was an average student surrounded by exceptional people but in college, she found that being of service made her feel exceptional.

Baird was the keynote speaker at STEPS' second annual Young Women's Leadership Day, held Saturday at Connecticut College. About 30 girls in grades eight through 12 attended.

STEPS, which stands for Striving Together Toward Empowered Personal Success, is a nonprofit that Beatrice Jennette founded in 2008. Its vision is a "world where every girl will have the support and opportunity to reach their full potential," Jennette said.

March is Women's History Month, and Jennette told the attendees, "We know that one day, we will see your names in the history books, about how you overcame challenges, you were victorious, and you changed the lives of many."

As an icebreaker, students focused on finding common threads, whether it was having plans to go to college or a desire to travel or a love of singing.

In a workshop on being good to yourself and balancing time, Sava Insurance Vice President Diana Buscetto started from the point that women have the instinct to take care of everybody else but then they end up at the bottom of the totem pole.

She encouraged the students to take time for themselves, set manageable goals and learn to say no.

"You're turning down the request, not the person," Buscetto advised. She added, "Don't feel guilty saying no. Sometimes you're going to have to say no in life; you can't say yes to everything."

Other breakout workshops focused on defining success and finding common ground, and one involved an activity set up like the Game of Life.

New London High School sophomore Shylin Rock said she came to the conference because she has gone to other STEPS programs through her school and has found them helpful.

In the workshop on life balance, she talked about sometimes feeling overwhelmed between school and cheer practice, while others expressed difficulty in saying no. Rock commented afterward, "It's good to hear that you're really not the only person who's struggling with these issues."

e.moser@theday.com